15. A book set in a global city

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

A global city is defined as "a city which is a primary node in the global economic network." As boring as that sounds, global cities offer us a wealth of perspectives and ideas that can really enrich the stories that we read. This week, we are reading books set in London, New York City, Tokyo, Paris, Singapore, Amsterdam, Seoul, Berlin, Hong Kong, Sydney, Beijing, Shanghai, or Dubai.

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Suggestions:
Definition of a Global City

100 Must Read Novels Set in London
Best Books Set in New York City
Books Set in Tokyo
Best Books Set in Paris
Books Set in Singapore
Best Books Set in Amsterdam
Best Books Set in Seoul
Berlin in Fiction
Books set in Hong Kong
Best Books Set in Sydney
Books Set in Beijing
10 Great Books Set in Shanghai


ATY Group Listopia

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Optional Questions
1. What are you reading for this category?
2. Which city is it set in?
3. Do you typically read books set in this city?

[Dana]

I will probably read the next In Death Series book I'm on for this one, which is set in NYC. Witness in Death

[Serendipity]

I’m definitely reading something set in Dubai. No idea what. It will probably come down to whatever my library has.

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

I'm not sure what I'm going to read yet, but I think I'm going to avoid anything set in New York, London, or Paris, just because I already read a bunch of books set in those cities.

[Ellie]

I like the sound of Kim Ji-young, Born 1982, about a woman born about the same time as me but growing up in South Korea...and I think it's set in Seoul.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

It was hard to find lists set in Seoul specifically... most lists I came across were for all of South Korea.

[Ron]

Taking a chance with The Red and the Black, which is set in Paris, France. I've actually read few other books set in Paris, but I am interested.

[Angie]

There are a few books I like for this category, but I've settled on The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, which is set in Cold War-era Berlin. I was supposed to get to it this year, but life happened, and I swapped it out for another book.

I'm also really interested in Please Look After Mom, which is set in Seoul.

[SadieReadsAgain]

I'm being lazy with this one, rather than trawling the blurbs of all my physical/Kindle options I've just basically stuck with books I own which appear on the lists/listopias linked above. Still got quite a good bunch of options!

Sydney
Candy
The Husband's Secret
What Alice Forgot

Tokyo
Convenience Store Woman
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

London
Her Fearful Symmetry
Vanity Fair
White Teeth

Berlin
The Bullet Trick

Paris
The Great Believers

Amsterdam
The Miniaturist

[Shelley]

Sarah wrote: "I'm being lazy with this one, rather than trawling the blurbs of all my physical/Kindle options I've just basically stuck with books I own which appear on the lists/listopias linked above. Still go..."

I loved Convenience Store Woman. It works really well with the Neuro-diverse category as well

[Ira]

I think I am going with Rivers of London byBen Aaronovitch. Maybe I'll change my mind later, but trying to go off my physical TBR, this book caught my eye for this prompt.

[Sherri]

I read Girl,Woman,Other by Bernardine Evaristo

[Maple]

1. What are you reading for this category?
More Tales of the City

2. Which city is it set in?
San Francisco, California, USA

3. Do you typically read books set in this city?
I don't seek them out, but I don't avoid them either. I usually don't pay attention to the setting of a book unless I need it for a challenge :)
However ..... I specifically decided to read the entire Tales of The City Series this year so you could say I sought out this one.

I am really loving the books so far. They are beautiful and magical.

[Maple]

Shelley wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I'm being lazy with this one, rather than trawling the blurbs of all my physical/Kindle options I've just basically stuck with books I own which appear on the lists/listopias linked a..."

I'm glad to hear you loved this. I picked it for my Discard Challenge for the "book by an author not connected to the Anglosphere" and I am proposing it to book club next month. I can't wait to read it!

[Chelsey]

1. What are you reading for this category?



2. Which city is it set in?
London

3. Do you typically read books set in this city?
Yes, seems like I always end up picking up several a year set in london.

[Bec]

I read China Rich Girlfriend
It was set in London, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Paris! So just a few global cities!

[GailW]

1. What are you reading for this category?
I read Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney
2. Which city is it set in?
The book is set in New York City from 1926 to 1984
3. Do you typically read books set in this city?
Not often. I neither look for them or stay away from them. The character in the book loved the city.

[Alicia]

Does anyone think Moscow would be considered a "global city" or are you just sticking to the cities listed in the first post?

[Noor]

Angie wrote: "There are a few books I like for this category, but I've settled on The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, which is set in Cold War-era Berlin. I was supposed to get to it this year, but l..."

I looooved Please Look After Mom... it deals with a lot of emotions in a sensitive way... will recommend it..

[Chrissy]

Alicia wrote: "Does anyone think Moscow would be considered a "global city" or are you just sticking to the cities listed in the first post?"

I'm sticking to the list, I think the prompt is pretty clear. I am hoping for something from one of the cities in Asia, because I have a side goal of increasing non-Western books.

[Matthias]

1. What are you reading for this category?
I read Martha and Hanwell by Zadie Smith.
2. Which city is it set in?
It is set in London, as are most (all?) of her novels and short stories, thus far.
3. Do you typically read books set in this city?
I have read quite a few London novels, though I don't usually use the location to determine what I read. I have been on a Zadie kick though, and her novels are all London, so thus far in 2020 she is the only author on my list.

[Maple]

Noor wrote: "Angie wrote: "There are a few books I like for this category, but I've settled on The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, which is set in Cold War-era Berlin. I was supposed to get to it th..."


I would consider it, yes.

[Jill]

What are you reading for this category?
I read Bombsites and Lollipops: My 1950s East End Childhood by Jacky Hyams

Which city is it set in?
London

Do you typically read books set in this city?
Yes. It is where I was born .

[Hinda Rochel]

Breath, Eyes, Memory should work for this one.

BTW, I sort of jumped in here because someone mentioned the group and I realized I have been doing it wrong. Soooo I am going to do it, but not officially. Hope that is okay.

[Kathy]

I read A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. It takes place in Paris and in London. I read many book set in London, but fewer that are set in Paris.

[Anastasia]

Perfect City: An Urban Fixer's Global Search for Magic in the Modern Metropolis fell into my lap as the perfect book for this prompt.

I really had no idea what to read for this one. Cities generally do not interest me. The location of a certain city in a book does not really matter to me that much either. So when I saw this one, well, I can stretch the box a little right.

Joe Berridge is a city builder. He has worked in most, if not all of the major cities around the world. In this book he explorers what makes a perfect city from the ground up. Or from the top down. Each chapter covers a different city. London, New York, Shanghai, Sydney, Toronto and more are visited.

I learned quite a bit. It is also something that I can apply when talking to my own city council, or with others in my community about how to make our city more livable and viable. I am really glad that I read this one.

[Tracy]

I've been really bad about keeping up in these threads.

I read The Invention of Hugo Cabret for this prompt, set in Paris. I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I thought I'd enjoy it more. Maybe I just wanted the pictures to be in color, but then again maybe they only really "fit" the story in black and white? Maybe I just read too many books this weekend.....

I'm literally scratching my head over here trying to think of books I've read set in Global Cities and, nope, I can't really think of any. Especially Paris. I'm sure I've read quite a few set In NYC, and maybe a few in Sydney as well.

[Samantha]

1. What are you reading for this category?
The Lucky One
2. Which city is it set in? Chicago
3. Do you typically read books set in this city? I can't think of any books that I have read recently set in Chicago but don't normally seek out books based upon the location they are in so may not be aware. Happy to be reading something set in Chicago, I think it is a great city to visit.

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

1. What are you reading for this category? China Rich Girlfriend
2. Which city is it set in? NYC, London, Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Paris, Beijing... think that is it.
3. Do you typically read books set in this city? Well, this hit almost all cities, so yeah, but I do generally like books in cities cause I like cities

[Marie (UK)]

1. What are you reading for this category? Where do you go to
2. Which city is it set in? Paris and Moscow / St Petersburg
3. Do you typically read books set in this city? I don't pick books by setting at all. I usually pick by synopsis or recommendation the setting is immaterial

[Heather]

1)Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar
2)New York City
3)I don't pay attention to what city I book is in before I start it.

[Anne]

I am reading A Hallowed Place by Caro Fraser.
It is set in London.
I don't normally read books set in London in particular, but am enjoying it so far.

[Kim]

1. What are you reading for this category? by Ruth Reichl
2. Which city is it set in? NYC
3. Do you typically read books set in this city? 73/1520 books fall into this category (about 5%)

[Pam]

1. What are you reading for this category?
While the World Is Still Asleep by Petra Durst-Benning

2. Which city is it set in?
Berlin

3. Do you typically read books set in this city?
No. It's nice to read something set in Germany that is not WWII related! This one is set in the late 1800s.

[Traci]

For this prompt I read a book set in London. Buried to the Brim by Jenn McKinlay is the latest installment in the Hat Shop Mysteries. I do feel like I read a lot of books set in London and England as well as New York and Paris. This just happened to be one on my TBR that let me accomplish both goals

https://titlesurfingwithtraci.blogspo...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Alesha]

1. What are you reading for this category?
You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

2. Which city is it set in?
New York City

3. Do you typically read books set in this city?
I can't say that I usually pick books based on the city they are set in. I'm sure I've read books set in NYC before, though. This book just happened to be the "Literally Dead Book Club" pick for April.

4 stars. I liked this one more than An Anonymous Girl, and I plan to read The Wife Between Us in the future.

[Leah]

I read 'In the Miso Soup' by Ryu Murakami, set in Tokyo. I've started reading Japanese fiction, because I bought 'Strange Weather in Tokyo' for my daughter who'd been on holiday to Japan, and I was intrigued by the style of writing.
'Miso Soup' is a sort of mystery - quite underplayed but Warning - there is a scene of visceral violence in the middle which I had to skim read.

[Laurel]

I read One Small Sacrifice by Hilary Davidson, set in New York City. Not sure why I picked this one for this prompt back in January, but I wasn't really in the mood for a NYC setting when I got to it.

I should have picked a different book in a different world city, as I think my mood affected my 3-star rating for this title. It was an intricate thriller, which I usually like, but I didn't like the unreliability of one of the main narrators, who had severe PTSD that affected his memories.

[Shelley]

1. What are you reading for this category? The Singapore School of Villainy
2. Which city is it set in? Singapore
3. Do you typically read books set in this city? I was there in February and picked up this book as my souvenir book. I've also read a few other books in Singapore and Malaysia this year, some that I didn't even realize were going to be set there. My subconscious may be telling me I need to go back once all This clears up.

[Stephanie]

I listened to A Treacherous Curse set in London

[Stephanie]

I read Recursion by Blake Crouch. It uses New York City as a focal point but the action takes it to many other locales -San Francisco, Portland, Boulder, Maine, Scotland, etc. It was a page-turner for sure.

[Susan]

I just finished The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper, most of which takes place in and around London. It's a well-written, well-researched cumulative biography of these women. 5/5
I don't specifically go looking for books set in London, but lots of English-language books are set there.

[Donna]

I read Ernest Hemmingway's The Sun Also Rises, which begins in Paris and quickly travels to Pamplona, Spain. I think many of the books I read are set in "Global Cities", although most are not focusing on the cities themselves and few give many enlightening details. The Sun Also Rises did have a lot of interesting information about the cities and the customs, though most of the book centered on events in Pamplona.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I went with The Alienist by Caleb Carr for this prompt, and I'm glad I did. I feel like 1897 NYC was another character in the book... the city really came alive and stood as an important backdrop for the plot.

I feel like I read a lot of book set in global cities, specifically NYC and London. I haven't tracked it, though, so I can't be sure.

[Shelley]

Stephanie wrote: "I listened to A Treacherous Curse set in London"

If you can ever go to a signing of Deanna Rayburn, I'd highly recommend it. I've seen her twice and she's great.

[Andrea]

For this prompt, I have finished Glass Town by Steven Savile. It takes place in London. British authors and locales are frequently involved in my reading material.

[Alexx]

1. What are you reading for this category?
I am reading The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

2. Which city is it set in?
This book is set in New York City

3. Do you typically read books set in this city?
To be honest, I don't know. The setting of a book is irrelevant to me when choosing what book to read, and it's irrelevant to me whilst reading it. I'd say a few books I've read are set in New York, but it's not actively chosen by myself because of the location.

[Brittany]

1. What are you reading for this category?
Soulless by Gail Carriger
2. Which city is it set in?
London
3. Do you typically read books set in this city?
I've read quite a few set in London, it's not a conscious choice though.

[SadieReadsAgain]

What are you reading for this category? Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
Which city is it set in? Mainly London
Do you typically read books set in this city? I wouldn't say I seek them out, but I've read a fair few.

I read The Time Traveller's Wife years ago and really loved it, so I had high hopes for this book. And the premise sounded great - American twins are bequeathed a flat in London from an aunt they never knew existed, on the promise that they never let their parents cross the threshold. As they cross the Atlantic to their new address, what mysteries await? And I have to say, it is the setting of this book - the antique strewn rooms of aunt Elspeth's home in the shadow of the historic Highgate Cemetery, and of course the cemetery itself, that made this such a gorgeous read. This book is so gothically atmospheric, Niffenegger's wonderful prose literally brings the dead to life. With creepy twins, family secrets and a cast of characters all negotiating their own troubles, there was so much in this book that kept me turning the pages. I do think that in the wrong hands this story would have quickly gone from the sublime to the ridiculous, but although this story does require quite the suspension of disbelief it does manage that tightrope walk with barely a wobble. So whilst I think The Time Traveller's Wife is still Niffenegger's strongest book, this one is a close contender.

[Emily]

What are you reading for this category?

The Hypnotist's Love Story

Which city is it set in?

Sydney

Do you typically read books set in this city?

No, I think I've only read 2 Liane Moriarty books set there, this one and Big Little Lies.